The 101st Drake Relays wrapped up Saturday afternoon. Saturday’s 45 straight sellout crowd avoided bad weather until the very end when the meet was suspended for about an hour by a storm that rolled through Des Moines. The meet featured more than a dozen new records and a lot of highlights according to Relay director Brian Brown.

He says the Lolo Jones race, and the men’s hurdle race, along with some of the high school performances. Brown felt the meet ran smoothly despite some issues with the weather on Friday and late Saturday. Brown says it’s a testament to the people working the relays, as they are able to make some decisions in bad weather to keep things running well.

Fans won’t have to wait long to see many of the competitors, again, as Drake Stadium will host the U.S. National championships in June. Brown says many of the elite athletes will make the junior nationals. Brown says it won’t be long until the planning begins for next year’s Drake Relays, as they start work immediately to get things going.

By John Martenson KGRN Grinnell